She heard their approach before the greeting reached her ears. Call it a hypersensitive awareness of her brain searching for danger while she lacked attention. Heavy steps thrashed in the forming puddles and steadily sounded closer. Sunny turned just as the father lunged out of the rain.
He looked a little familiar. She studied his face as he caught his breath. Nothing really stood out apart from his sharp features. Actually, no– she was seeing it better now that the rain wasn’t pelting his face. He reminded her of a raccoon. All the shadows cast from his angular face were narrow like the animal’s bone structure and his eyes were just as dark. Tired, probably… and alone. No one joined him under the gazebo apart from the little girl he carried in. That rang a little more familiar to Sunny– single father, toddler daughter, she was sure she’d seen them at the park on numerous occasions, Rae-ning might have even been the one to find the girl’s lost toy under the slide.
Sunny’s hand raised just as slowly as the man’s daughter in the returned greeting. He introduced the girl as Juliette and himself, Alexander. That’s when Sunny remembered: Mr. Robinson. He lived in the area with his daughter, one of the other few single parents she’d taken note of in the neighborhood. Maybe it was paranoia, but she felt obligated to at least remember the faces of other parents and their kids. There were a lot of people in the world that weren’t so kind to children. She knew that very well… and any parents could benefit from someone watching their back that understood how important that loved one was.
“I don’t mind at all,” she replied as her dark gaze fell onto Juliette staring up at her. A small lift of a smile appeared on her lips and she held out her hand for the little girl to shake. “Hello, Juliette. I’m Sunny Song,” and to her father, “Hello Mr. Robinson–” Oh, probably a little weird to know his name before he told you. She hated that she wasn’t the best at talking to people.
“Sorry,” She quickly tucks a strand of wet hair behind her ear with that raised hand. “Some of the other moms told me before… I bring my little brother here all the time. His name is Rae-ning.”
Speaking of… she began to wonder how his Me-Day was going. She couldn’t say hers was worth mentioning when his was filled with sugar and icing. The most exciting thing about her day of watching the rain water the plants would be hearing about his little adventure. Maybe she should wait out the storm and let him have the entire day. That sounded better to her than finding a way home now.
He looked a little familiar. She studied his face as he caught his breath. Nothing really stood out apart from his sharp features. Actually, no– she was seeing it better now that the rain wasn’t pelting his face. He reminded her of a raccoon. All the shadows cast from his angular face were narrow like the animal’s bone structure and his eyes were just as dark. Tired, probably… and alone. No one joined him under the gazebo apart from the little girl he carried in. That rang a little more familiar to Sunny– single father, toddler daughter, she was sure she’d seen them at the park on numerous occasions, Rae-ning might have even been the one to find the girl’s lost toy under the slide.
Sunny’s hand raised just as slowly as the man’s daughter in the returned greeting. He introduced the girl as Juliette and himself, Alexander. That’s when Sunny remembered: Mr. Robinson. He lived in the area with his daughter, one of the other few single parents she’d taken note of in the neighborhood. Maybe it was paranoia, but she felt obligated to at least remember the faces of other parents and their kids. There were a lot of people in the world that weren’t so kind to children. She knew that very well… and any parents could benefit from someone watching their back that understood how important that loved one was.
“I don’t mind at all,” she replied as her dark gaze fell onto Juliette staring up at her. A small lift of a smile appeared on her lips and she held out her hand for the little girl to shake. “Hello, Juliette. I’m Sunny Song,” and to her father, “Hello Mr. Robinson–” Oh, probably a little weird to know his name before he told you. She hated that she wasn’t the best at talking to people.
“Sorry,” She quickly tucks a strand of wet hair behind her ear with that raised hand. “Some of the other moms told me before… I bring my little brother here all the time. His name is Rae-ning.”
Speaking of… she began to wonder how his Me-Day was going. She couldn’t say hers was worth mentioning when his was filled with sugar and icing. The most exciting thing about her day of watching the rain water the plants would be hearing about his little adventure. Maybe she should wait out the storm and let him have the entire day. That sounded better to her than finding a way home now.
